Honesty is the Best Policy
by zeilfanaat
Summary: With all the confessions made in the episode "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not", the ending just cried for more. SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

Missing Scene - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**Honesty is the Best Policy**

_By zeilfanaat_

**Category:** Romance

**Ratings:** K/G

**Warning:** Huge spoilers!

**Disclaimer:** "Doc" is not mine. It is produced by Dave Alan Johnson & Gary R. Johnson. No infringement intended.

**Spoilers:** He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**Summary:** With all the confessions made in the episode "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not", the ending just cried for more.

**Archive:** i2Eye Fan Fiction; fanfiction. net; please ask first if you'd like to see it somewhere else as well.

**A/N:** Missing Scene - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. I'm first going to go through the relevant bits of the episode, for the people who haven't had a chance to watch this episode or show, but will occasionally be adding a couple of thoughts as well. The parts in italics are straight from the actual episode, the normal parts are my additions or interpretations of looks.

**Finished:** 31st of May, 2008

* * *

Part 1

_The week had started off great. Twyla, Tippy's cousin, and Jinx, Twyla's boyfriend, had visited the clinic to tell doctor Hebert that his investment in Jinx's algae company had paid off – his investments had been quadrupled. Jinx proceeded to invite all of them to come to the Cancer research funding kick-off, of which Jinx was a big contributor. Everyone agreed. _

_But later that day, Twyla arrived at the clinic again, and told them that she and Jinx broke up. Everyone thought they belonged together. So when they were going to the party, they tried to figure out a way to let them see the light. They decided to try and make him jealous, except through a couple of unfortunate events, Junior (Putney) joined them and escorted Nancy, and Clint ended up as being the one to make Jinx jealous. While the plan to make Jinx jealous, worked, Twyla unfortunately thought she had fallen in love with Clint. _

_Captain Steven Doss summarised the situation, "Junior thinks he and Nancy are a couple, Twyla thinks she and doctor Cassidy are a couple. And Jinx is out of the picture. It would appear that our little tactical manoeuvre wasn't the success we were hoping for."_

_Nancy and Clint decided they'd have to nip it in the bud, before it could get further out of hand. _

_Unfortunately, when Clint went to talk with Twyla, he was afraid of being too insensitive, seeing as she'd just been dumped by Jinx. Then his pager went off, so he didn't get a chance to actually say it. Back at the clinic, Jinx arrived, intending to fight doctor Cassidy for Twyla…_

* * *

"_Jinx?" Tippy asked, seeing who had just walked into the clinic. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I came to see doctor Cassidy," Jinx said shortly. _

"_Hey Jinx, how're you doing?" Clint asked with a smile. _

"_Don't you sweet-talk me. You stole my girl. And I intend to do whatever is necessary to win her back." He took off his jacket. "I challenge you," he said, moving his hands in a defensive position. "Put 'em up," he indicated Clint's hands._

"_Jinx, I ain't gonna fight you," Clint tried to reason with the man. _

"_Well, I guess I'll have to force you," Jinx said, and he took a swing with his right arm… straight into Nancy's clipboard, which she'd instinctively moved in front of Clint's face. _

"_Oh," Jinx exclaimed. "My hand, I think I broke it!" _

"_Oh my," Tippy said. _

"_Jinx, I'm, I'm sorry. It was just a reflex," Nancy stammered,_ although inwardly, she had to admit she was glad it was the clipboard he'd hit, and not Clint's face.

_Clint took Jinx to a room, and examined his hand, which fortunately wasn't broken. Jinx apologised for his behaviour, and explained that he just couldn't stand the thought of losing Twyla. Clint told him he didn't have to apologise, and he summarised their plan. They decided to try and come up with a plan together, to get Twyla back with Jinx. _

_

* * *

_

That's how Clint, Nancy and Jinx ended up in Clint's apartment that evening.

"_The problem here, Jinx," Nancy said, "is that deep down, Twyla is feeling unappreciated, and I think she is translating that into feeling unloved." _

"_All I did, was answer the question she asked me. 'Do you like my hair like this?' Truthfully. Whatever happened to 'honesty is the best policy'?" Jinx asked in exasperation. _

"_Well, whoever said that knew nothing about human feelings," Nancy countered. _

"_So, I should be dishonest with her?" Jinx frowned. _

"_No, we're not saying that," Clint interrupted. "Are we?" He looked at Nancy to check. _

"_No, but there is a way to read a situation and respond accordingly, without being dishonest. You need to figure out what she needs to hear at that moment, and then respond truthfully with something to fill that need." _

_Jinx put his hands up in a surrendering motion, and said, "I'm afraid this is way over my head."_

"_No," Nancy responded, "No, no, Jinx, it's not. Look. Just, just watch us, ok?" She turned to Clint, pulled up her hair, and asked, "Clint, do you like my hair this way?" _

"_Yeah, looks good," Clint nodded enthusiastically. Immediately Jinx interrupted. "But I didn't like it when Twyla showed it to me. I can't lie to her, I don't want to lie to her!" _

"_No, I don't want you to lie!" Nancy said, "You just have to tell her something that's good and something that's truthful." She pulled up her hair again, and looked at Clint._

"_You don't like it like this."_

"_Yeah I do. You look cute." _

"_No wait," Nancy said, letting her hair fall back down. "I'm trying to show Jinx how to respond in a situation like this."_

"_Oh," Clint nodded. As she pulled her hair back up, it suddenly dawned on Nancy what Clint had said, and that apparently he'd meant it. _

"_So, do you, do you really like it like this?" she asked, suddenly serious. _

"_You have so many great qualities about you. I mean, you make me laugh all the time, you're very caring; I find you attractive all the time," Clint told her, and Nancy smiled. "But, this is not my favourite." _

_Nancy's face fell slightly as she realised he was now role-playing. "No, I mean… do you, do you really like it this way?"_

"_Are we role-playing now or not?" Clint asked confused. _

"_And you always find me attractive?" Nancy asked._

"_Yeah. I guess I do," Clint replied truthfully. _

"_Yeah you do, what?" Nancy questioned, "Always find me attractive, or like my hair this way?" _

_Clint's eyes twinkled, as he spoke. "Both." _

_A smile spread across Nancy's face. Then Jinx spoke up, interrupting the moment. _

"_What am I supposed to be getting out of this? Because, I don't know what's going on," Jinx interrupted. _

"_Ah, right. Ok, ehm. Maybe I should try this with you." Jinx nodded, and Nancy put her hair back up. "Jinx, do you like my hair like this?" she asked, then gave Clint a strange look._ Clint sat back, and watched. The evening was spent giving Jinx hints and advice. While they didn't have time to talk to each other privately, both Nancy and Clint had something to think about.

TBC

* * *

A/N: I know, not a lot of new things in this part yet. It could be that you've already seen this episode, so then a lot will be a repeat, at least in the first two chapters. The third chapter has a lot more of my own input. Hope you enjoyed - zeilfanaat


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** "Doc" is not mine. It is produced by Dave Alan Johnson & Gary R. Johnson. No infringement intended.

**Spoilers:** He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**A/N: **As before, I'm first going to go through the relevant bits of the episode, for the people who haven't had a chance to watch this episode or show, but will occasionally be adding a couple of thoughts as well. The parts in italics are straight from the actual episode, the normal parts are my additions or interpretations of looks.

* * *

Part 2

_The next morning, a small package arrived for Nancy._ For the briefest moment, as she had been given the parcel, Nancy had hoped it had come from Clint, but she had immediately disregarded that idea. The man in question was sitting next to her, and didn't give any indication that he knew what it was. _It turned out to be a golden necklace… from Junior, with the engraving 'To the woman who has stolen my heart, Love Junior!'._

_Oliver Crane's suggestion to rent a plane with a banner saying, 'Junior, leave me alone', and have it circle above their street location, was quickly dismissed. Doctor Hebert told Nancy she'd probably just have to speak to Junior and spell it out, but Clint suggested that she first talked to Jelly Bean, since he knew Junior much better, and would probably know how this kind of news was best delivered. _

_Nancy spoke to Jelly Bean, but instead of getting advice on how to tell Junior she wasn't romantically interested in him, the street salesman told her how she could bind Junior to him, and what not to do. _

"_I've been with Junior through a lot of relationships, and the one thing I know for sure: when he sees something unattainable, that's what he wants most of all. That, and he hates clingy. He's like that with his shirts too. Junior is remarkably consistent," Jelly Bean had said. _

_This had given Nancy an idea, and half an hour later, Junior sat down at the table in the clinic's coffee area, and Nancy put a cup of coffee in front of him. _

"_Thanks for coming on such short notice," Nancy said, sitting down across from him. _

"_It sounded like it was important, so I got here as quick as I could. Is everything ok?" Junior asked concerned._

"_Oh yeah, everything's great!" Nancy exclaimed. "I was just thinking about you and me. And how fortunate we are to have found each other. And it made me realise that we have wasted a lot of time. And there's no denying that there's so much attraction between us, so I just don't want to waste anymore." Nancy was really into her role. Junior chuckled embarrassed. "So, I was thinking we should start making plans right now." _

"_Plans for what?" Junior asked, uncertain. _

"_You know, marriage! Babies! The two story walk up with the mortgage. All the things that people do when they're lucky enough to have found the one."_

_Junior looked uncomfortable. "Don't you think we should date for a while first; you know, crawl before we jog?" He chuckled nervously. _

"_What for? All so that at the end we can say we're still perfect for each other? Look, why don't we just start our lives together, right now! And, I was also thinking that maybe we should have a double ceremony with Tippy and captain Doss." _

_As Junior was processing everything she'd said, Nancy looked at him hopefully. It looked like Jelly Bean had been right about this. Junior was quiet, looked down for a moment in thought, then looked up again, having reached a decision. "I've always dreamed of a military wedding. Let's do it!" _

_Nancy's face fell. "Uh, s- sorry, what?"_

"_No no, let's do it," Junior said, a wide smile on his face. "Let's get married! Right now, I got to run to a meeting with one of my suppliers, but I'll come over tonight, and, and, we'll talk all about it, we'll discuss the whole thing." He stood up, about to leave, then turned back, and kissed Nancy on her lips. "The beginning of our lives together. Ooh, I like that!" _

_And off he was. Nancy sat there, shell-shocked, then realised. "Junior just kissed me." She looked a little put off._ Then she realised that she had just made matters worse. 'Great! Within a day, I've gone from being single and in love, to being engaged to the wrong person!'

_

* * *

_

She had explained to the rest of the Westbury-gang that her plan had completely back-fired. They tried to come up with a way to not hurt Junior.

"_Maybe I should just come clean, huh." Nancy said, and turned to Clint. "Like they probably say in Montana; you know, honesty is the best policy." _

_Clint looked doubtful. Derek saved him from answering, and continued, "But Junior has really laid his heart out here. It's going to be very tough on him. Dare I say possibly even humiliating?" _

_Nodding, Clint agreed, "Doctor D's right. For a macho guy like Junior, embarrassment might be the worst part."_

"_Good grief," doctor Crane interrupted. "Do I have to solve everyone's problems?" He rose and looked at the country doctor. "For some reason, Junior thinks the world of you, doctor Cassidy. All you have to do is tell him you have feelings for Nancy, and that he's taken her away from you." _

_Nancy's eyebrows rose, and quickly looked down, trying to hide the deer-in-the-headlights-look. Everyone else looked at anything but the pair. At the silence, doctor Crane frowned. _

"_What? It's not a terrible idea." _

"_Works for me," Nancy said, her eyes downcast. _

"_Oh, on so many levels!" the words flew from Donna's mouth. Amused looks were quickly hidden, and when Donna realised she had said that out loud, she quickly stumbled over her words, to add, "The real question is, would it work for Junior." Then she quickly left the filing area, and Nancy sent Clint a hesitant smile, before everyone decided to follow Donna's example. _

Clint wondered. Last night, Nancy had seemed glad to realise he'd meant what he'd said. Now, she didn't seem thrilled at the idea of him telling Junior he had feelings for her. Boy, women were confusing sometimes.

_

* * *

_

During lunch time, Jinx, Clint & Nancy were sitting in a restaurant, to evaluate the conversation with Twyla that Jinx had had that morning. It hadn't quite gone as planned, as Twyla had said she was 'off to greener pastures'.

_Jinx nodded towards Clint. "This guy's got some kind of magnetism about him."_

"_Really, hmmm, I never noticed," Nancy teased, looking sideways at Clint, who was sitting next to her. They shared a smile, before Nancy looked back at Jinx,_ forcing herself not to think about Clint's 'magnetism'. _"So, what do we do now?"_

"_Well, I know Twyla cares for you. I mean, she talks about you all the time," Clint said, looking at the man across the table. _

_Jinx's face brightened. "Really? Or are you just doing that thing where you tell me what I want to hear?"_

_Clint looked at Nancy, then back at Jinx. "To be honest, I thought you might like to hear it. But it's also true."_

_Jinx snorted. "Is this guy good, or what?"_

"_Not bad," Nancy murmured, looking at Clint. _

"_Well, I'm thinking that maybe it is time for that honesty-is-the-best-policy thing," Clint said with conviction. Both Jinx and Nancy looked uncertain,_ but waited for the explanation, and Clint briefly outlined his plan to get Jinx and Twyla back together.

TBC

* * *

**A/N:** Nope, still not quite there, but I hope you're enjoying it so far. Last chapter coming up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** "Doc" is not mine. It is produced by Dave Alan Johnson & Gary R. Johnson. No infringement intended.

**Spoilers:** He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**A/N:** Missing Scene - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Again, the parts in italics are straight from the actual episode, the normal parts are my additions or interpretations of looks.

**A/N2: **Thanks Give us Peace. Yeah, I know the first two chapters were mostly summarising the episode, but since the episodes aren't actually available, and the knowledge of the episode is helpful in understanding the story, I wanted to give those people who haven't seen the episode, a chance to understand what's been going on. But here comes the actual missing scene. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Part 3

_"__Howdy boys," Clint greeted Junior and Jelly Bean, while the snow was falling down._

"_Hey Doc, what brings you to Junior and Jelly Bean's discount haven?" Jelly Bean asked. _

"_Whatever it is, I'm glad you came. Cover for me, will you Jelly Bean?" Junior said. _

"_Sure thing." _

_Junior and Clint sat down on a nearby bench. Immediately Junior started speaking. "I got a problem, and you might be the only person I know who can help me with it."_

"_Well Junior, I kind need to talk to you about something," Clint said. _

"_Well shoot, Doc," Junior invited him. It didn't happen often that the doctor needed to talk to him, and it sounded serious. _

"_It's about Nancy," Clint said. _

_Junior startled. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." _

_

* * *

_

Some time later, Clint and Twyla were having coffee in a café, when Clint came to the point. "Twyla, I think there's something we need to talk about."

…

_At the same time, Junior was once again sitting in the coffee area of the clinic, across from Nancy, but this time he was the one doing most of the talking. "Something has been brought to my attention. And as wonderful a person as I think you are, … " _

…

_Clint continued. "I hope you know that I think you are a wonderful person. But I think we both know the right person for you is someone else." _

…

"_I know there's someone out there who believes he's meant to be with you," Junior explained, and Nancy raised her eyebrows._ Was what she thought was happening, really happening? _"I think maybe you know his name. But even if you don't, I have no doubt that you will. And I couldn't do anything to stand in the way of what's meant to be. What should be," Junior finished his argument. _

…

_Twyla smiled. "You're very sweet, doctor Cassidy. And very perceptive. Maybe if I had met you before I met Jinx, things would be different. But you're right. Jinx is the man for me. I've always known that. It's folly for me to deny it." _

…

_Nancy leaned forward. 'I appreciate your honesty in telling me this, … and your willingness to step aside. I respect you for that. Even if I don't really understand it."_

"_You will one day. And when you do, I hope you'll think of me fondly. If nothing else, at least we had today." Junior stood up, leaned over, and kissed a surprised Nancy on the lips. When he was gone, Nancy frowned. "I just kissed Junior again." _

Then she started to process what exactly had just happened, and she wondered if maybe…

…

"_Now I think there's somebody here who would like to see you," Clint said, as he looked at a point behind Twyla. She turned, and saw Jinx enter the café. Smiling widely, she walked towards him. As Clint watched, Twyla and Jinx embraced each other._ With a satisfied smile, Clint decided his help was no longer needed here, and left the couple to talk.

_

* * *

_

Later that evening, back in his apartment, he sat down and started an e-mail to Doc Johanson.

'_Dear Doc, how're you doing?_

_I got to believe that it's been calmer where you are than in our city of love and adventure. However, I am glad to report that everything is back the way it started. _

_Actually I take that back. Things have gone a little beyond where they started. Twyla and Jinx are engaged. That's right. Now we got two happy couples waiting in line to spend their lives together. And it's kind of exciting for all of us really. _

_You know there's something about being around people who are in love. It's kind of infectious. The sun seems to shine a little brighter, the air is a little crisper. The whole world seems like a better place to be somehow. I can't imagine what it must be like for them.'_

For a moment, Clint revelled in remembering the feeling he always had whenever he was around Nancy, then typed, '_Or maybe I can._

_One thing I know for sure, we'll all be very blessed if we end up with a marriage anywhere close to what you and Dottie, or Nate and Beverly have.'_

_A knock on the door caused Clint to pause. "Come on in, it's open."_

_Nancy walked in, carrying an ice tub. "Now I'm betting that you have some hot chocolate, to go with my very good chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream."_

"_What a coincidence," Clint played along. "I was just wishing I had some ice cream to go with my hot chocolate."_

_Nancy smiled. "I'll heat up the milk. E-mailing Doc Johanson?"_

"_Yeah, I was just signing off."_

"_Tell him I said 'hey'," she said, before disappearing off to the kitchen. _

'_Well Doc, got to go. I just got an offer I couldn't refuse. I'll keep you updated on all the romance and wedding plans in the works._

_By the way, Nancy says to say 'hey'. _

_Give my best to your lovely bride, and all the folks back home. _

_Until next time, _

_Doc Cassidy.'_

_He signed off, and put the laptop away_ to help Nancy get the hot chocolate. As he pulled two spoons from a drawer, Nancy threw Clint a curious look.

"You know, I had the strangest conversation this afternoon with Junior… and I think _you_ might know more about it." She pointed the spoon Clint had just given her to the man in question, as they walked towards the living room.

"Really? What happened?" Clint asked, as they sagged down onto the couch. On the one hand, he'd love to see her reaction when she found out that he'd done a little more than just get Twyla and Jinx back together; but on the other hand, he feared her reaction… what if he had read her wrong after all? If that were the case, and they continued on this thread, could he have destroyed their friendship? No, he immediately decided. If she really didn't harbour any other feelings for him aside from friendship, she would take it as a gesture of this friendship that he'd been willing to go with Crane's idea.

Nancy looked at him appraisingly for a moment, then continued. "Junior said that it had come to his attention that _someone_ is out there, who thinks that he and I belong together…" Again she searched Clint's face for any indication that he knew more about it. There was something there, although she couldn't be sure what it was. "So, I was wondering, if perhaps you went with doctor Crane's idea?"

"Yeah, I did," Clint admitted immediately, then took a spoonful of ice-cream, enjoying both the cold treat and teasing the woman sitting next to him.

"Clint!" Nancy exclaimed, swatting him lightly on the arm. "You can't say that, and then not tell me more! How did Junior react? Was he ok? What did he say?"

Finally, Clint allowed a small grin to show on his face. "Alright, alright. Actually, he took it pretty well. Turned out that your tactic did work to some extent. Junior said that, while he really likes you, he did think that you may have been a bit too fast for him. But he wasn't sure how to tell you without hurting your feelings."

Both the nurse and the doctor grinned at the irony.

"And?" Nancy pressed.

"Well, he asked me if I knew a way to help him… and I said I had a pretty good idea."

Clint didn't look at Nancy when he said the last part, instead taking a sip of hot chocolate. This would be the moment where the conversation could go one way or the other; either she'd accept he had told Junior exactly what Crane had proposed, and accept it at face-value, or she could prod further...

Nancy glared at him; sometimes getting information out of this man, was like pulling teeth. Then she asked herself the question – did she really want to know? Yesterday, he'd said he'd always found her attractive, and that he liked her hair when she pulled it back. She was sure he'd been truthful, and it had set free the butterflies within her. But then when doctor Crane's suggestion had come up… well, for a moment, she wondered whether Clint would do it. She had said it would work for _her_, but Clint hadn't given any indication he was even thinking about doing it, and she hadn't pushed, afraid she'd embarrass them both. But his comment during lunch… and then the way Junior had 'dumped' her… she had to know!

"During lunch today, when you were saying that perhaps it was time for the 'honesty-is-the-best-policy' thing, you explained how to get Jinx and Twyla back together, and it worked. But that policy wasn't used just in their case… was it?" Nancy asked, biting her lip, suddenly afraid of the answer. The hot chocolate was getting cold, and the ice cream was melting, but neither person cared at that moment.

Clint looked up, and his eyes captured hers; this was it – he wasn't going to dance around the subject any longer. "No, it wasn't. What Junior told you is true."

"What Junior told me…" Her voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence. "You believe you're meant to be with me?" she asked, needing absolute certainty about what he meant.

"Yes I do," Clint said, gauging her reaction.

"You do?!" Nancy all but squealed.

"I'm in _love_ with you, Nancy," Clint said slowly and sincerely, as he grasped her hand in his.

"Really?!" Nancy asked again, and Clint nodded. "Yes."

He gave her a searching look, trying to quell the uncertainty and doubt about whether he'd just made the smartest or the dumbest move of his life. He didn't think he'd read her emotions _that_ wrong. But then, what did he know? He had after all followed Samantha to New York, thinking she'd been the one, and she had been pretty clear in the end that it wasn't meant to be. When Nancy still didn't say anything, a feeling of despair washed over him.

"Should I tell Junior that he's got free play?" Clint attempted to lighten the situation, although he couldn't help the melancholy undertone. That shook Nancy awake.

"No!" she exclaimed. "No," she said, softer this time, and she tightened her own hold on Clint's hand as his grasp had loosened. "Seeing as this honesty-policy is working, I think we should stick to it." She waited till he looked up, seeing hope light up in his eyes, and continued, "And, we can't very well tell that I'm available when I know very well that I'm in love with you." She finished almost in a whisper.

A wide smile spread across Clint's face, and his eyes radiated joy – the anguish from a minute ago was gone and forgotten. "Nancy, you can't imagine how happy I am," he said softly, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek, and Nancy covered it partly with her own hand to keep it there.

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," she managed. Slowly Clint leaned in closer, and the kiss that followed was tender, yet told them everything they needed at that moment. As they broke apart, their faces only inches apart, Nancy sighed, her eyes still closed. "Wow." She opened her eyes, and looked straight into Clint's, love shining out from them. "That's so much better than Junior," she said, one edge of her mouth curving up.

Clint raised his eyebrows, and asked amused, "Junior kissed you?"

"Yeah. This one made up for it though."

"Glad to hear it," Clint said, his hand tracing her face again. He could hardly believe that the mess they'd found themselves in yesterday morning, could have resulted in this. Nancy licked her lips, then got an idea. Clint caught the sudden change in her expression, and narrowed his eyes. What was she up to?

"You know," Nancy started softly. "Junior kissed me twice…"

Clint chuckled, and with sparkling eyes, he gazed at this wonderful woman. "Did he now?"

"Uhuh," Nancy nodded.

"Well, maybe we should do something about that," Clint said, as he leaned closer.

"Like what?" was the breathless reply, as Nancy started to forget about everything else, and focused only on the man she'd loved for so long, and who had just told her he loved her too. Suddenly his face halted, as he suggested cheerfully, "Ice cream?"

Exasperated, Nancy was about to object, when the distance between them was closed once again, and she forgot all about her objections… not that she had anything to object anymore.

**THE END**

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
